Hair grooming preparation



United States Patent HAIR GROOMING PREPARATION Robert James Mehafiey, River Edge, J., assignor ;to Colgate-Palmolive Company, a corporation of ,Dela- I ware No Drawing. Application July 10, 1953, Serial No. 367,345

8 Claims. (Cl. 161-87) The present invention relates to an aqueous-alcoholic hair grooming preparation and more particularly to an tion that contains in addition to other ingredientsa lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol in combination with an organic ester.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description.

The novel anueous-alcoholic hair grooming lprepara- I tion of the present invention contains a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol withan organic ester compounded with other ingredients which give thecomposition suitable properties for .the application to the e. g., v in the form of a liquid.

Among the lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene g'lycols which canbe combined with the organic ester inanaqueens-alcoholic solution is butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol. Butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol confers particularly suitable properties on the composition and therefore is preferably employed in the present invention. .The lower-alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol serves. the main function in the composition of holding the hair in place. It

also imparts a certain amount of luster to the "hair.

hair,

It has been determined that a lower alkoxypolyoxy Q lower alkylene glycol in sole combination with an aqueous-alcoholic solvent medium provides a clear, stable solution only at temperatures above about 75 F. At lower' temperatures a mixture of these ingredients alone be comes cloudy and loses its desirable clear appearance.

It has now been discovered that the admixture of an organic ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid with a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol and an aqueous-alcoholic solvent medium results in the formation of a hair preparation which is a clear, stable solution at temperatures below 75 F. and even at temperatures as low as about 35 F.

A typical example of an organic ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid suitable for use in accordance with this invention is the monoester obtainable by reacting a polyoxyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of about 400 with the mixed fatty acids obtained from coconut oil.

If desired, an organic ester formed from an alkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid also may be employed in the present composition for the purpose of adjusting the consistency of the overall mixture and to give a more glossy appearance to the hair. A specific example of such an ester is propylene glycol monolaurate. This 2,771,394 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 compound is a monoester of propylene glycol and lauric acid.

Any of thelong ehain fatty acids may be employed to form the abQve-mentioned esters and it is within the purview ofghe-present invention that the carbon atom content of the fatty acids may range from about 8 to about 24, and preferably from about 12 to about 18. Exampies of fattyacids that may be employed to form the esters aboverefepred to are lauric, palmitic, myristic, stearic, oleic and the mixed fatty acids obtained from .coconut oil.

Other compounds, in addition to butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol and the organic ester or esters, may be ineluded in the aqueous-alcoholic composition, such as rubefacients, germicidal agents, perfume oil and coloring.

The rubefacients are added to the composition to give a tingling and stimulating effect to the scalp. Typical examples of the rubefacients employed are tincture of capsicum, vmenthol, turpentine and mustard oil.

Y The germicidal agent is employed in the composition to destroy the microorganisms customarily found on the hair and scalp and thereby prevent development of the common diseases of the scalp. The type of germicidal agent which proved most satisfactory was a cationic quaternary ammonium compound such as cetyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride or cetyl isopropyl isobutyl benzyl ammonium chloride. More particularly, a 5 0% solutionof cetyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride was used. It should be understood, however, that it is within the 'purview of this invention to use other germicidal agents, such as 0.5% of lauroylcolaminoforrnylmethyl pyridinium chloride.

As referred to hereinbcfore the hair grooming preparation-is one containing alcohol. The alcohol notonly acts as a carrier for the remaining constituents in that it increases their solubility but acts also to give a'warming effect to the scalp. Among the alcohols which may be used-are ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl and isobutyl, i. e., the lower liquid aliphatic alcohols.

Water, perfume oil and coloring are also added to the composition, the water being added to minimize the amount of alcohol required while the perfume oil and the coloring are added to give the composition a pleasant smelling effectand the color desired.

In determining the proportions of each compound to give the desired results, it was found that the proportion of the lowersalkoxypolyoxy *lower alkylene glycol employed should be maintaine'd preferably between '5 to 30%, that the proportion of the ester formed from an alkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid should be maintained preferably between 0.1 to 5.0%, that the proportion of the ester formed from a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid should be maintained preferably between 0.1 to 5.0%, that the total amount of rubefacient employed should be maintained preferably between O.l to 5.0%, that the proportion of germicidal agent present be maintained preferably within a range of 0.1 to 5.0%, that the proportion of alcohol be maintained preferably between 40 to 60%, and that the proportion of water he maintained within a range of about 20 to 30% with the remaining constituents being coloring and perfume oil.

To illustrate the general process of preparing a hair grooming preparation of this type all of the materials in this preparation with the exception of water are weighed into a vessel. The water is weighed in a separate vessel and then added to the first vessel with agitation. The resultant product is then chilled.

Having described the present invention in its broader aspects, a more detailed example of the composition in understood that this is included herein for purposes of illustration rather than limitation. Percentages are by weight throughout the specification and claims unless otherwise indicated.

Summarizing, the present invention is based upon a new composition which comprises a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol and an organic ester or esters in combination with an aqueous-alcoholic solvent medium to form a highly effective hair preparation. While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that considerable variations from the details disclosed might be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the claims set forth hereinafter.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol for maintaining the hair in place, and means for extending downwardly the temperature range within which the preparation is in the form of a clear, stable solution, said means comprising an organic ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid.

2. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol and an organic ester of a polyoxy alkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid.

3. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol, and an ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid having a chain length of from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms.

4. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol, and a monoester of a polyoxyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of about 400 and the mixed fatty acids obtained from coconut oil.

5. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of about 5 to about 30% of a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol, about 0.1 to about 5.0% of an ester of alkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid having a chain length of from about 8 to 24 carbon atoms, and about 0.1 to about 5.0% of an ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid having a chain length of from about 8 to 24 carbon atoms.

6. A hair grooming preparation comprising a clear aqueous-alcoholic solution of a lower alkoxypolyoxy lower alkylene glycol, an ester of an alkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid, an ester of polyoxyalkylene glycol and a long chain fatty acid, rubefacients, and a germicidal agent.

7. A hair grooming preparation comprising 5 to 30% of butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol, 0.1 to 5.0% propylene glycol monolaurate, 0.1 to 5.0% of the monoester of polyoxyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of about 400 and the mixed fatty acids obtained from coconut oil, 0.5% of tincture of capsicum, 0.5% menthol, 0.1 to 5% cetyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, to 60% ethyl alcohol, and 20 to 30% water.

8. A hair grooming preparation consisting essentially of 20.0% butoxypolyoxypropylene glycol, 1.10% propylene glycol monolaurate, 2.00% of the monoester of polyoxyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of about 400 and the mixed fatty acids obtained from coconut oil, 0.5 tincture of capsicum, 0.5% menthol, 1.00% of a 50% solution of cetyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, 51.25% ethyl alcohol, 0.5%

perfume oil and 23.25% water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,722 Wilkes Feb. 2, 1943 2,448,664 Fife et al. Sept. 7, 1948 2,524,247 Zentner Oct. 3, 1950 2,543,061 Rider Feb. 27, 1951 2,639,259 Wellman May 19, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Dicken: Drug & Cosmetic Industry, vol. 70, No. 5, May 1952, page 659.

Pluronic: Wyandotte Co., Wyandotte, Michigan, Mar. 1, 1952, pages 1, 2, 7.

Goodman: Cosmetic Dermatology, McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1936, N. Y., page 233. 

1. A HAIR GROOMING PREPARATIONS COMPRISING A CLEAR AQUEOUS-ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION OF A LOWER ALKOXYPOLYOXY LOWER ALKYLENE GLYCOL FOR MAINTAINING THE HAIR IN PLACE, AND MEANS FOR EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THE TEMPERATURE RANGE WITHIN THE PREPARATION IS IN THE FORM OF A CLEAR, STABLE SOLUTION, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ORGANIC ESTER OF A POLYOXYALKYLENE GLYCOL AND A LONG CHAIN FATTY ACID. 